Spring-wheel.



Patented July 13, 1915.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

IN I/E/VTOR A TTOBNEYS H. F. C. RIETSCHEL.

SPRING WHEEL.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. 11, 1914. 1,146,654.

H. F. C. RIETSCHEL.

SPRING WHEEL,

APPLICATION FILED MAR. 11. 1914.

1, 146,654 Patented July 13, 1915.

2 SHEETSSHEET 2.

WITNESSES I INVENTOI? c1 M I j'feniy 1?. CfirZrckal ATTORNEYS COLUMBIA PLANDGRAPH 50.. WASHINGTON, D. c

HENRY F. c. 'arnrscnnn, or new roan, 1v. Y.

srrtrnmwnnnn.

Application filed March 11,

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, HENRY F. C. Rin'r- SCHEL, a subject of the Emperor of Germany, and a resident of the city of New York, borough of Brooklyn, in the county. of Kings and State of New York, have invented a new and ImprovedSpringWheel, of which the following is a full,clear, and exact description. g

This invention relates to carriages and wagons and has particularreference to vehicle wheels. i

Among. the objectsxof the invention is to provide a resilient wheelvcomprising a plurality of metallicsprings and also having a flexible rim for the purpose of dispensing with the usual pneumatic tires now commonly used on automobiles and other vehicles. I

Another object of the invention is to provide an easily applied emergency repair device should one or more of the springs besome broken while on the road.

The foregoing and other objects of the invention will hereinafter be more fully described and claimed and illustrated in the drawings forming a part of this specification in which like characters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the views, and in which- Figure 1 is a side elevation, partly in vertical section, indicating. a preferred embodiment of this invention; Fig. 2 is a vertical transverse sectionof the same; Fig. 3- is a view in side elevation indicating the application of the emergency repair device to a broken wheel; Fig. 4 is a diagram indicating the relative positions assumed by the rim and spring spokes when the wheel meets an obstruction; Fig. 5 is a detail view indicating the union between a spring and a clip cooperating with the sameattached to the rim of the wheel; Fig. 6 is a perspective view of one of the clips for attaching the emergency repair device; and Fig. 7 is a detail view indicating a form of clip which may be used in emergency to hold a spring loop to the wheel rim.

The several parts of the device may be made of any suitable materials, and the relative sizes and proportions, as well as the general design of the mechanism, may be varied to a considerable extent without de- Specifieation of Letters Patent.

' ratente aaiyi s, 1915. 1914." Serial No. 828,933.

parting from the spirit of the invention hereinafter more fully set forth and specifically claimed. I

Referring'more particularly to the drawcerned, may be of any suitable or preferred construction, and in this respect I claim no improvement.

nal portions 10, one portion having a series of faces to which are rigidly, secured, by means of screws or bolts 15, the overlapping portions of feet 16, one spring 11 being secured through its feet 16 to each of the facesqabove referred to. lhe faces, however, and the springs secured thereto ofeach portion of the hub are arranged in staggered relationto those of the other hub portion,,as shown in Fig. 1. In other words, all of the spring spokes 11 of the wheel are arranged in two parallel series and hence effectively. support the wheel with respect to all strains subjected thereto.

The rim 12 is preferably made of flat material and hence has elasticity which is availed of in connection with the elasticity of, the spring spokes. The several springs 11 are secured to the inner face of the rim 12 by clips 17. Each clip 17 is preferably U- shaped and is secured rigidly against the inner face of the rim by a plurality of rivets 18 located by dotted lines in Fig. 5. The rivets, however, do not pass through the spring loop but such loop is provided with notches or recesses 11 having certain loose connection between the legs 17 of the yoke, and the spring loop is maintained in such relation by means of a bolt 19 having an antifriction roller 20 thereon, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2.

On the inner and outer faces of the wheel are secured disks 21 and 22, the connection between them being through bolts 23 passing through them and the hub and also bolts 24 parallel to the other bolts but beyond the hub and having cooperating therewith a series of thimbles 25 constituting spacers allowing suficient free movement of the springs between the disks. The inner disk I The periphery of the hub, however, is preferably formed with octago- I v of any difiiculty on the road, but should one I 21 may support or constitute a brake wheel mdicated at 21 wheel from lateral strains.

The clips 17 are of a substantial nature 7 and are secured in such a manner by the rivets 18 that they seldom are the source of them be broken a temporary holder to take its place may be employed, as shown in Fig. 7 the same comprising a malleable f metal structure 26 having ends or hooks 27 adapted to engage over the edges of the rim is hammered over so as to make the clip 12 and having inwardly projecting fingers 28 which may be hammered into shape to overlap the spring 11. Inthe' manufacture of the clips 26 one of the hooks27 is left open, and after the other hook is engaged over'an edge of the rim 12,'the open hook secure.

Themeans forsecuring a spring to the hub and rim are such that it is a comparatively simple matter to renew'or replace a broken one in the shop, or even on the road by takinga little time, but for quick emergency repair purposes I provide a yoke 29,

as shown in Fig. 3, the same conforming substantially to the inner form of the spring 11 but having a reentrant loop 80 whereby springs and one of'the side portions of the yoke 29 and is'tliere securedby means of a thumb nut 33 and bolt 34. With the broken spring thus reinforced, it is obvious that the Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

These disks stifien the confining connection with the trip may be completed with reasonable safety and after the wheel is taken 'to a shop anew spring may readily be put in place of the broken one.

Having thus described my invention, I

claimas new and desire to secure by Letters Patent 1. In a spring wheel, the combination of a hub, a flexible flat metal rim, a plurality of flexible looped spring spokes extending between the rim and the hub, means to secure the inner ends of the springs rigidly to the hub, and a series of clips secured to the inner face of the rim and having certain loose springs, substantially as set forth.

2. In a spring wheel, the combination of a hub, a rim, a bowed spring spoke between the hub and the rim, detachable means rigidly securing the foot portions of the spring to the loop,a clip rigidly secured to the inner face'of the rim and having spaced parts'projecting inwardly toward the hub on opposite'sides of thespring, there being certain free. movement of the spring longitudinally through the clip, and an antifriction roller secured in'the clip adjacent the inner face of the spring.

3. A vehicle wheel comprising a-hub,-a

I felly, spring spokes in the form of resilient loops attached at both extremities to the hub, and outer end spoke couplings attached to the felly and embodying rollers over several which the middle portions of said loops are slidable. Y

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of Witnesses:

GEO. BEELER, PHILIP D. ROLLHAUS.

-Washington, I). G. 

